JACKSONVILLE – The Jaguars waited a long time Friday night. A really looooong time.
As General Manager James Gladstone saw it, the wait was well worth it as the Jaguars finished Day 2 of the 2025 NFL Draft in fast fashion by selecting offensive lineman Wyatt Milum and defensive back Caleb Ransaw with back-to-back selections late in Round 3.
"It was a quiet start today, but a loud finish," Gladstone said.
The Jaguars, after trading up from No. 5 overall to No. 2 to selected wide receiver/defensive back Travis Hunter Thursday, entered Friday with no second-round selection and with selections No. 70 and 88 in Round 3.
They finished the evening having made two more trades, waiting 86 selections between their first and second selections and eventually selecting:
"They are players with the Jaguar DNA that we've leaned into at each Pick Point so far, and we intend on doing the same moving forward," Gladstone said. "That's really something that led us in that direction and stood out from start to finish."
Added Gladstone, "We let it (the draft board) speak to us, and the two that we walked away with we feel good about."
The Jaguars' trades Friday were:
- Nos. 70 (Round 3) and 182 (Round 4) overall in the '25 draft and a 2026 sixth-round selection to the Detroit Lions for No.102 (Round 3) in '25, a "compensation" third-round selection in '26 and a "regular" '26 third-round selection.
- Nos. 102 (Round 3) and 142 (Round 4) in the '25 draft to the Houston Texans for Nos. 89 and 236 in '25.
"We were really excited about the opportunity to acquire some future draft capital, knowing there were quite a few players in the window at the end of the day that we were interested in," Gladstone said. "The board continued to show itself as having depth with players we had a lot of appreciation for.
"We were given an offer that was certainly enticing, especially as we look forward to next year."
Milum (6-feet-6, 313 pounds), who played four seasons at West Virginia, was a consensus All-America selection in 2024. He also was the Big 12 Offensive Lineman of the Year in 2024 after being a second-team All-Big 12 selection in 2023.
The Jaguars in mid-March signed four offensive linemen: Projected starters Patrick Mekari (guard) and Robert Hainsey (center), along with veterans Fred Johnson and Chuma Edoga.
"One of the things that was really clear in my approach to the interview process was that the trenches would be prioritized," said Gladstone, hired as the Jaguars' general manager in late February. "We made a number of moves to address that in pro free agency. Here in the draft we find ourselves in a similar boat."
Gladstone said the Jaguars with the Milum selection wanted to "make sure that on the offensive line depth is something we're never concerned with."
"You can never have enough security across the offensive line," Gladstone said. "The depth there is important. Attrition on the offensive line can be debilitating for an offense. It's something I don't want to put us at risk for, knowing how important that is.
"Building depth across that group is something we're prioritizing."
Ransaw (5-feet-11, 197 pounds), who played three seasons at Troy, was a third-team All-American Athletic Conference selection for Tulane in 2024. Gladstone called Ransaw a "very safe safety."
"That root word in that position is something that we covet," Gladstone said, adding that versatility – an ability to play cornerback and safety – is among an "endless list" of attributes that made the Jaguars covet Ransaw. "His ability to tackle people from depth is certainly a very specialized characteristic."
The Jaguars hold six more selections in the '25 draft: No. 104 (Round 4), No. 107 overall (Round 4), No. 194 overall (Round 6), No. 200 (Round 6) and No. 221 overall (Round 7), No. 236 (Round 7).
The Jaguars' first two fourth-round selections mark Day 3's second and fifth selections overall.
"Time will truly tell," Gladstone said. "We look forward to having a little bit more of a fast start, like we did on Day 1 – having a couple of picks at the beginning of Round 4. We'll see how the board unfolds the rest of the way with those that we have beyond that."
